140-year-old Buenos Aires Zoo is shutting down and sending its animals to sanctuaries

Perhaps the most famous resident of the Buenos Aires Zoo is Sandra , the orangutan who won rights in a local court as a “non-human person” in late 2015. The ruling set a major precedent for legal rights of animals, although the court has yet to determine what specific actions the city of Buenos Aires must take in order to fulfill its legal responsibilities. Sandra, a hybrid of Borneo and Sumatra orangutans , doesn’t socialize with other orangutans, so she needs extra attention. She will be one of the 50 animals who continues to live and receive care at the zoo site once it becomes a park. She will not, however, be put on display for public entertainment anymore.